1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to folding garments and bags, and more particularly to a vest-bag which is convertible between a vest garment configuration and a bag configuration.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Convertible vests and bags are known in the art. There are several patents which disclose various folding garment and bag constructions.
Lapham, U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,341, discloses a vest having pockets, an attachable neck strap, and straps which extend around the waist and are tied to prevent the vest from shifting. The Lapham vest is designed to support a rod and reel and does not suggest a vest which is foldable or convertible to a hand or shoulder bag configuration.
Buck, U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,479, discloses a sportsman's garment consisting of an outer jacket and a harness disposed within and separably attached to the jacket. The jacket may be removed and the harness worn under a conventional coat or jacket. The jacket comprises a rear section and a pair of front sections having their side edges spaced from the rear section and separably connected thereto by transverse adjustable bands.
Altick, U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,541, discloses a shell retainer and dispenser comprising in its modified form, elongated containers which are fastened to a hunting vest.
DeSpain, U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,267 discloses a vest type garment having utility as a balanced carrier and as a pair of matched seat cushions. The garment comprises two identical front and back vest sections each having a large pocket which when worn, are snapped together over the shoulders. The large pockets are used for transporting beverages or other articles in a balanced load divided between the front and rear pockets. A removable cushion may be placed in the pocket and the neck portions of the garment folded around the pocket to form a seat cushion.
Arisland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,469 discloses a convertible carrier bag worn beneath a coat or jacket in a body support configuration and convertible to a hand support configuration. The construction of the Arisland patent is quite different than the present invention. The Arisland patent comprises a vest and a pair of pouches or purse segments. The pouches are connected one at the lower edge of each front panel of the vest and straped to the wearer to reside inconspicuously close to the abdomen similar to a money belt. The pouches may be releasably connected by a zip fastener along juxtaposed edges so that they may be secured together in a face to face relationship to provide a garment storage compartment therebetween which may accomodate the vest. Tie straps extend from opposite ends of each pouch to the back edge of the adjacent shoulder strap and around the front of the wearer to be connected by a buckle fastener to retain the carrier bag on the wearer.
The prior art in general, and none of these patents in particular, disclose the present vest-bag convertible between a vest garment configuration and a bag configuration which comprises a unit of material having a lower portion sectioned into laterally contiguous rectangular panels forming open ended pockets having vertically spaced fasteners along their longitudinal sides, and an upper portion extending upwardly from the lower portion and divided into a central back panel and a pair of side panels having snap fasteners at the upper ends. The side panels may be fastened to the back panel to form a vest bodice for wearing the vest-bag in a vest garment configuration. The back panel and one side panel may be folded onto the contiguous panels which may then be folded one upon another and releasably connected by the vertically spaced fasteners to form a bag configuration. A carrying strap extends from the vest-bag in the folded position for carrying the bag.